With $122.9 billion projected for the global content marketing market by 2032, content is no longer a “nice to have” activity. Yet the same research that highlights growth also shows why it can fall apart, like 74% of consumers feeling frustrated by irrelevant content. Let’s piece together the engagement, channel, and B2B buying signals that explain what works and why.
Key Takeaways
- 76% of marketers say content marketing increases engagement
- 61% of marketers report their organizations using content to increase engagement
- 30% of CMOs say content marketing is a top growth priority
- 44% of marketers report improving brand awareness through content
- 41% of marketers say social media is one of their top content channels
- 48% of marketers say video is important for content marketing
- 49% of marketers use email newsletters for content distribution
- 45% of marketers distribute content via LinkedIn
- 74% of consumers feel frustrated by irrelevant content
- 72% of marketers say personalization increases engagement
- 1.01 billion people use social media monthly on average (2024)
- $122.9 billion global content marketing market projected in 2032
- $6.0 billion spend on influencer marketing in 2024
- 55% of B2B buyers use content during their buying process, according to a 2020 Gartner survey of B2B buyers
- 61% of B2B buyers consume vendor content to help them make purchase decisions, per a 2019 Gartner report based on B2B buyer interviews
Content marketing boosts engagement and brand awareness, with personalization, video, and SEO driving measurable growth.
Related reading
01 · Category
Engagement Metrics2 stats
01
76% of marketers say content marketing increases engagement
02
61% of marketers report their organizations using content to increase engagement
Interpretation
Engagement Metrics Interpretation
For engagement metrics, 76% of marketers say content marketing boosts engagement and 61% say their organizations use content specifically to drive it.
02 · Category
Budget And ROI1 stats
01
30% of CMOs say content marketing is a top growth priority
Interpretation
Budget And ROI Interpretation
With 30% of CMOs naming content marketing as a top growth priority, budget decisions in the Budget And ROI category signal that a significant share of leaders is investing in content because they expect measurable returns from it.
03 · Category
Brand Awareness1 stats
01
44% of marketers report improving brand awareness through content
Interpretation
Brand Awareness Interpretation
With 44% of marketers saying content improves brand awareness, it’s clear that content marketing is a proven driver for boosting visibility in this category.
04 · Category
Channel Mix2 stats
01
41% of marketers say social media is one of their top content channels
02
48% of marketers say video is important for content marketing
Interpretation
Channel Mix Interpretation
In the channel mix, social media stands out with 41% of marketers naming it a top content channel, and video follows closely with 48% saying it is important, signaling that these two formats are key priorities for content distribution.
05 · Category
Distribution2 stats
01
49% of marketers use email newsletters for content distribution
02
45% of marketers distribute content via LinkedIn
Interpretation
Distribution Interpretation
For distribution, email newsletters lead with 49% of marketers using them, showing they remain the most common channel, while LinkedIn follows closely at 45%.
06 · Category
Personalization2 stats
01
74% of consumers feel frustrated by irrelevant content
02
72% of marketers say personalization increases engagement
Interpretation
Personalization Interpretation
For the personalization category, the key trend is that 74% of consumers feel frustrated by irrelevant content while 72% of marketers report that personalization increases engagement, making relevance essential rather than optional.
More related reading
07 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
1.01 billion people use social media monthly on average (2024)
02
$122.9 billion global content marketing market projected in 2032
03
$6.0 billion spend on influencer marketing in 2024
04
10.8% of all website traffic worldwide in 2024 came from organic search, according to data published by StatCounter’s Global Stats
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the global content marketing market projected to reach $122.9 billion by 2032 and organic search already driving 10.8% of worldwide website traffic in 2024, the Market Size angle shows content is sitting on a massive, proven demand engine.
08 · Category
Audience Behavior5 stats
01
55% of B2B buyers use content during their buying process, according to a 2020 Gartner survey of B2B buyers
02
61% of B2B buyers consume vendor content to help them make purchase decisions, per a 2019 Gartner report based on B2B buyer interviews
03
64% of B2B buyers say they perform research before engaging with sales, reported in a 2021 Forrester B2B survey
04
73% of B2B buyers view 3–5 pieces of content before contacting a vendor’s sales representative, according to Gartner research on B2B buying behavior
05
The average B2B buyer consumes 3–7 pieces of content before engaging with a vendor, per a 2019 CEB (Gartner) report cited widely in Gartner materials
Interpretation
Audience Behavior Interpretation
For the audience behavior angle, B2B buyers consistently rely on vendor content well before sales outreach, with 73% viewing 3 to 5 pieces and the average buyer consuming 3 to 7, underscoring how early research shapes purchase decisions.
09 · Category
Industry Trends1 stats
01
83% of marketing and sales professionals believe that marketing and sales alignment improves results, reported in a 2021 study by the Aberdeen Group (now part of Gartner)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends show that 83% of marketing and sales professionals believe alignment improves results, underscoring why more businesses are making it a top priority for content marketing effectiveness.
10 · Category
Audience Insights1 stats
01
61% of marketers say improving SEO and increasing their organic presence is a top priority
Interpretation
Audience Insights Interpretation
Audience Insights show that 61% of marketers prioritize improving SEO and boosting organic visibility, suggesting audiences are increasingly being reached and understood through search-driven behavior rather than traditional outreach.
11 · Category
Lead Generation1 stats
01
48% of marketers say content marketing increases sales, demonstrating revenue influence
Interpretation
Lead Generation Interpretation
With 48% of marketers reporting that content marketing increases sales, it signals that lead generation efforts can directly drive revenue through effective content.
12 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
$1.8 million is the typical cost of a market study (U.S., mean) including data collection and analysis, showing cost considerations for market intelligence feeding content
02
B2B companies typically allocate 25% of their marketing budgets to content, showing the centrality of content in overall marketing spend
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Under the Cost Analysis lens, it’s clear that with B2B companies typically spending 25% of their marketing budgets on content and a U.S. market study averaging $1.8 million for data collection and analysis, content planning is closely tied to substantial upfront research costs.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Content Marketing Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/content-marketing-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Content Marketing Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/content-marketing-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Content Marketing Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/content-marketing-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+5 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)